Bulldozers work at a construction site in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Pisgat Zeev in a photo taken on Friday, Oct. 15. The issue of Israeli settlement building is threatening to derail recently renewed Mideast peace talks. AP/Bernat Armangue
Indonesia has urged the United Nations Security Council
(UNSC) to press Israel to dismantle settlements built in occupied Palestinian
land.
"We believe that the Council could take similar step by
pronouncing itself collectively, and with a single voice, to urgently demand
Israel to dismantle the existing settlements and to cease the construction and
planning of settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory," Indonesian
Permanent Representative/Ambassador to the UN Hasan Kleib said at a UNSC
meeting at the UN Headquarters in New York on Monday.
He said Israel`s continued construction of settlements in
the occupied land had always posed a stumbling block to its peace talks with
Palestine.
In response to the latest developments in Israel-Palestine
direct talks resumed on Sept 2 but now under a threat of failure, he reiterated
Israel`s continued construction of settlements in the occupied Arab territory
remained one of the main obstacles to peace in the Middle east.
"Israel`s settlement policies and practices, which have
been aimed at altering the demographic composition, physical character and
status of the Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, are nothing but
a blatant violation of international law," he said as quoted by the Antara
news agency.
Many feared the direct peace talks which were resumed on
Sept. 2 after more than 20 months of stoppage would come to a standstill after
Palestine had threatened to withdraw from the talks.
The threat came after Israel rejected to extend its
moratorium on the Jewish settlement in the West Bank which expired on Sept. 26.
One day after the moratorium expired, Israeli bulldozers
were deployed to continue the settlement construction which had been suspended
for 10 months.
Indonesia, along with other prominent developing countries
such as Brazil, India and South Africa had formed a joint forum to support
Palestine, including in its effort to proceed with its direct peace talks with
Israel.
Foreign ministers from the four countries for the first time
held a meeting in New York in September on the sidelines of the 65th General
Debate of the UN General Assembly.
The UNSC is made up of five permanent members -- the United
States, Britain, France, Russia and China -- and 10 non-permanent members --
Japan, Austria, Mexico, Brazil, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Turkey, Lebanon, Uganda,
Nigeria and Gabon.
